Combination stool



Jan. 25, 1966 P. E. OLSSON COMBINATION STOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July6, 1964 FIG.1

Jan. 25, 1966 P. E. OLSSON COMBINATION STOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July6, 1964 FIG.2

United States Patent 3,230,910 COMBINATION STOOL Per Erik Olssen, 42Vastermalmsgatan, Eslriistuna, Sweden Filed July 6, 1964, Ser. No.380,526 Claims priority, application Sweden, July 19, 1963, 8,023/63;Apr. 24, 1964, 5,089/ 64 4 Claims. (Cl. 108153) This invention relatesto a stool comprising a few main parts with coupling members, adapted tobe combined to a bar stool, table, etc., and easy to stow away when notbeing used.

There is a great number of proposals how to solve the problem ofconstructing a stool which is both durable and of lightweight, allowscombination in different ways and requires little space when not in use.However, none of the constructions heretofore made succeeded in practiceto meet the aforesaid requirements.

Tfn's invention has as its object to solve the problem of producing sucha stool.

The invent-ion relates to a stool which comprises a few main parts andmembers for connecting the same. The invention is substantiallycharacterized in that the main parts and details of the coupling membersare designed as truncated cones having substantially the same conicity,and that two equal or two different stool parts can be combined with oneanother or that one stool part can be combined with another part offurniture known per se, in such a manner, that two equal or twodifferent coupling members are used for connecting the parts, accordingto the type of furniture desired.

All parts are preferably made of a plastic material of high strength andtoughness, rendering it possible to give the walls in the differentparts of the stool optimum thinness, which makes the stool easier tostack, reduces its weight and, consequently, its manufacturing costs.

The invention will be described in greater detail in the following,reference being had to the accompanying drawings showing differentembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a stool assembled of two different stoolparts, and

FIG. 2 shows in an exploded view a cross-section of the stool accordingto FIG. 1 with an intermediate portion mounted thereon.

As appears from the drawings, the stool part 1 is the foot which isplaced with its larger base surface on the support. Said surface is inaddition widened to funnel shape by an annular peripheral portion 2providing a stable carrying surface. The upper smaller base surface ofthe foot part is provided with a downward tapering recess 3 defined by abottom 4 with a central hole therein for a coupling member.

The stool part 5 which constitutes the seat part has at its larger basesurface substantially the same diameter as the foot part, but its basesurface is turned upwards. About the periphery of said surfacepreferably a flange 6 is provided, to the inside of which and in spacedparallel relationship therewith a second flange 7 preferably lower thanflange 6 can be arranged. Said inner flange 7 is intended to support adisk or seat cushion 11 mounted inside of the outer flange 6, whichcushion may be provided on its lower surface with a fastening clam-p orthe like for a screw.

The disk or seat cushion 11 may, of course, be of such size that itprojects outside of flange 7 and rests upon the same.

The smaller base surface of the seat part 5 which can be inserted intothe recess 3 of foot part 1 has a central hole corresponding to the holein bottom 4 of said reice cess, rendering it possible to lock the saidtwo parts together by a coupling member.

According to another characterizing feature of the invention the stoolis provided with an intermediate part 8 for increasing its height to acertain standard. Like the two other stool parts, the intermediate partis shaped like a truncated cone and has in its downward larger basesurface a recess 9 which corresponds to the upper 'portion of stoolpart 1. The intermediate part 8 is mounted over said stool part, in sucha manner, that the upper portion of the latter projects into the recess9 and thereby increases the height of the foot part.

In the smaller lower base surface of the intermediate part 8 a secondconical recess 10 is arranged which corresponds to the lower portion ofthe seat part 5. The said lower portion can be inserted in the foot partthus extended which results in a stool considerably higher than before.

Due to the fact, that all stool parts are preferably made of normallyflexible plastic material, in this first embodiment all parts will bewedged to another after their assembly. For separating the parts, one ofthe parts is to be turned somewhat relative to the other part at thesame time as it is pulled therefrom. In this way, the parts separatevery easily from one another.

When a stronger connection between the said parts is required, acoupling member can be inserted in the holes provided in the parts forthis purpose. It is also possible to lock the seat cushion 11 togetherwith the remaining parts, for example by means of a long lock-pin incombination with the fastening clamp on the lower surface of saidcushion.

Thanks to the particular strength and toughness of the material, thewalls in the different stool parts can be made thin, for example 2.5mm., which means that about stool feet can be stacked one above theother without producing a stack higher than about 2 m. The remainingstool parts are stacked in a corresponding manner.

It appears from the aforesaid that a great number of stools constructedaccording to the aforedescribed embodiment of the invention, can whennot in use be stowed away in the form of stacks with a minimum of spacerequirement.

What I claim is:

1. A stool assembly comprising an upstanding base having an upwardlyopening recess, a stool member having an intergrant depending postfreely telescopically received in said recess, said recess and dependingpost being in the shape of truncated cones to be wedged in each otherand having a vertical dimension greater than its major diameter forproviding lateral stability wherein said base is truncated cone-shapedwith an outwardly flared lower end for engaging a large area of asupporting surface.

2. The stool assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said stool member isinverted truncated cone-shaped with an outwardly flared upper end, and acushion supported on the upper end of said stool member.

3. The stool assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein the upper end ofsaid stool member includes in upstanding peripheral flange receivingsaid cushion, and an upwardly extending annular flange disposed inwardyof and below the peripheral flange engaging the bottom of the cushion.

4. The stool assembly as defined in claim 2 together with anintermediate member having a downwardly opening recess of truncatedcone-shaped free-1y telescopically engaged over the upper end of thebase, said intermediate member having an upwardly opening recess oftruncated cone-shape substantially identical to the recess in the base.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Baggs 108-150 Reck 108-150X Feigler 1 108--150 Nattson248158 Payeur 108-150X Peterson v 108-150 Beaham 248146 FOREIGN PATENTSBelgium. France.. Germany. Great Britain.

Saarinen 297-461 10 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

1. A STOOL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING BASE HAVING AN UPWARDLYOPENING RECESS, A STOOL MEMBER HAVING AN INTEGRANT DEPENDING POST FREELYTELESCOPICALLY RECEIVED IN SAID RECESS, SAID RECESS AND DEPENDING POSTBEING IN THE SHAPE OF TRUNCATED CONES TO BE WEDGED IN EACH OTHER